Sector Teams

The Sector Teams offer assessment, treatment, formulation and diagnosis for children and young people who are experiencing a broad range of emotional health, psychological distress and mental health disorders.

We are multi-disciplinary teams, meaning that our staff come from different professional backgrounds which may include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and qualified and registered therapists.

We deliver evidence-based interventions that are centred upon a child or young person’s or parent/carers goals and identified need.

Team members

• Psychiatrists are medically qualified doctors who specialise in mental health disorders. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication.
• Clinical psychologists use research-based psychological methods to assess, develop psychological formulations and treat emotional distress, behavioural conditions and mental health difficulties.
• Specialist/psychological therapists bring a range of assessment skills and several specialist psychological therapies to work effectively with those referred to our service.
• Art psychotherapists help young people to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences in life through the creative process of art making and talking together.
• Cognitive behavioural therapists help uncover the patterns that influence your mood. By identifying these, they can challenge thinking, regain control over emotions, and develop more positive reactions.
• Family therapists. Family therapy is a collaborative approach that works with families and relationships to understand patterns, improve communication and create meaningful change together.
• Mental health practitioners and senior mental health practitioners carry out assessments and a range of interventions, drawing on their professional backgrounds and specific training. They can offer psychological screening, assessment and psychological interventions.

Psychological therapeutic interventions

These interventions may be offered by our service.

• Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)
• Theraplay
• Parent Child Game (PCG)
• Family Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Art Therapy
• Reflective Parenting
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A)
• Dyadic and Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)

Accessing the Sector Teams

Referrals are accepted from the age of 5 up to the point of a young person’s 18th birthday but the transition protocol to adult mental health services and adult ADHD services starts at 17.5 years (this is always a consideration from 17.5 years and above).

To access our 5 to 18 team, in the first instance, please speak to your GP, social worker, or any other health professional, who will be best placed to make the referral. Your GP or other health professional will refer you if they think we can help you, as they often hold relevant clinical information about you and your family, which will help us to determine whether we are the right service for you.

You can also make a self-referral using our online form. 

Referrals are reviewed, and at this point, advice or signposting may be offered, or if the referral criteria are met, then an initial assessment appointment will be offered.

The types of difficulties within the acceptance criteria include children presenting with severe and complex mental health difficulties, complex psychological difficulties, persistent self-harm or suicidal thoughts related to these problems and complex neuropsychiatric disorders. These children are likely to have more chronic, fluctuating or severe difficulties and are likely to have already had a primary level intervention. Young people may also present with sudden onset complex presentations, and these young people may be accepted directly by the Sector Team.

Sector Team referral acceptance criteria. 

What happens after a request for involvement?

After a request for involvement has been accepted, parents/carers or the young person, if they are 16 years plus, are invited to attend an initial assessment appointment. This appointment usually takes place face-to-face, but can be online if requested by the young person or family.

Appointments take place at Burnley General Hospital and The Mount (Accrington) and other community venues in your local area. 

At this appointment, we share information about our service, discuss the reason for the child or young person’s (CYP) referral and decide whether we are the best service to meet the family’s needs.

Everyone open to our service is allocated a practitioner within the team who will be leading on their care and be the main point of contact. All our practitioners have specialist training and skills to work with young people. Each young person will have a My Care Plan that will be created with the young person and their parent/carer, at the very beginning of their care and treatment, and reviewed during the treatment period as required.

The clinical team want to be able to see all our children, young people and their parents or carers as quickly as possible and to be as helpful as we can once we are working together. Therefore, it is essential that families can commit to regular attendance at all appointments arranged to achieve positive outcomes.

For information on your consent to treatment, please see What is consent to treatment for mental health? Mind website.